1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to articulated dolls, and more particularly to a doll having bendable knees which is capable of moving between a standing position and a sitting position.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are various articulated dolls and toys that are capable of various movements and physiological functions by means of internal arrangements.
Sala, U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,467 discloses a figure with independently movable limbs. The arms are connected to rotatable shafts, and the limbs on one side of the body are connected with one another by a connecting rod and one of the limbs is rotatably connected by an eccentric member rotated by a clockwork mechanism by a connecting rod and the limbs on the other side of the body are connected by connecting rods with an eccentric member also rotated by the clockwork mechanism.
Kuna et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,367 discloses an articulated doll having an internal mechanism which allows the doll to sit down from a standing position. With the doll in a standing position, the user rotates an arm and after a timed interval the mechanism causes the doll to assume a sitting position. There is no provision for bending the knees.
Terzian, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,150 discloses a doll capable of raising itself in a realistic manner from a prone position to either a standing position or a sitting position. The doll's legs are pivotally mounted on the torso and the legs do not bend. The drive mechanism includes a motor and a pair of cams which control the timed leg movements.
Terzian et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,878 discloses a doll having bendable arms that are movable from a position alongside the torso up toward the doll's head. Each arm has a hand attached for rotation about the wrist. When an arm is bent and moved up, the attached hand rotates. Movement of each arm is effected by a cable extending through a hollow, bendable conduit. One end of each cable is connected to a respective hand and at the other end to a control knob.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a doll having bendable knees which is capable of moving between a standing position and a sitting position. The doll has a pair of arm members pivotally connected to a torso at the shoulder and a pair of leg members pivotally connected to the torso at the hip and each leg member has an upper leg member and a lower leg member joined thereto at the knee. The upper and lower leg members are movable relative to one another about the knee joint. The arm members are connected to the leg members inside the torso by cables. In the standing position, the arms and legs are positioned generally vertical relative to the torso.
Moving one arm member from the vertical position to raised position generally perpendicular to the torso causes simultaneous movement of the upper leg members between the standing position and a sitting position with the upper leg members aligned generally perpendicular to the torso. The lower leg may be allowed to remain in a generally vertical position and to be moved upwardly as the upper leg member is pivotally moved about the hip region to simulate bending at the knees. The lower leg member may also be held or fixed in a generally vertical position such that the pivotal force applied to the upper leg member at the hip region is transferred to the knee joint to cause the upper leg member to be pivoted downward relative to the lower leg member about the knee joint and carry the torso downwardly therewith to simulate bending at the knees and the doll will assume a sitting position as the torso is carried down.